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Guides and Workbooks

Election Audits

Exploring Election Audits Series

…to Auditing Elections Download Exploring Audits: Part One       Part Two Download Exploring Audits: Part Two – Conducting a Ballot Management Audit   Download Exploring Audits: Part Two…

Aug 10, 2023
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Communications

Audit Report Templates

…risk-limiting audits, fixed percentage audits and automated audits are available for download and customization. Please reach out if you need a template for a different type of audit.    …

Sep 4, 2024
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Communications

Bite-Size Audit Report Templates

…your audit, such as the number of ballots counted, the number of ballots audited and discrepancies between the two. PROCESS Another bite-size template focuses on your audit process. It uses…

Sep 20, 2024
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Communications

Audit Report Presentation

Use this template to present highlights from your audit report as a slideshow and make your audit results more accessible. Deliver an audit report highlights presentation to a group or…

Sep 16, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Election Audits

Risk-Limiting Audit Procedures for Local Election Officials

A risk-limiting audit (RLA) is a post-election tabulation audit in which a random sample of voted ballots is manually examined for evidence that the originally reported outcome of the election…

Feb 17, 2022
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Communications

Audit Talking Points

…your audit or audit report and any policies, practices and requirements in your jurisdiction. In a national survey, conducted between Oct. 25 and Nov. 4, 2024, our audit summaries with…

Sep 16, 2024
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Communications

Audit Report Inserts

…followed best practices for other types of audits. Or use the checklists on their own to boost awareness of election process audits. These are essentially pre-checked checklists of audit best…

Sep 16, 2024
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Communications

Audit Press Release

…and the release of your audit report. Download the template and tailor it to fit your audit or audit report and any policies, practices and requirements in your jurisdiction. In…

Sep 16, 2024
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Communications

Audit Fact Sheets

Do voters in your jurisdiction know about list maintenance audits? What they are, how they work and when they take place? What about ballot management audits? These fact sheet templates…

Sep 24, 2024
Video

Election Audits

Audit Explainer Videos

…support transparency and election confidence. #1 What is a tabulation audit? https://youtube.com/shorts/Zb6y4l9Nxuo #2 How does a tabulation audit work? https://youtube.com/shorts/9KjSGjLi_3s #3 Why do election officials do tabulation audits? https://youtube.com/shorts/zijsD9E4HAg  …

Mar 4, 2025
Photo of resources to assist with ballot hand-counts
Guides and Workbooks

Election Audits

Audit Hand-Count Tally Sheet and Guides

If your teams need tally sheets for the hand-count portion of your post-election audit or quick guidance on a counting method, we have you covered. Audit Hand-Count Tally Sheet The…

Oct 10, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Election Audits

Knowing It’s Right: Limiting the Risk of Certifying Elections

…make the case for risk-limiting audits, understand how they work, put a pilot audit into practice and design a ballot accounting program as the foundation of an audit. As with…

Dec 1, 2021
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Communications

Election Observer Resources

…Federal and state rules govern election record retention, and there may be differences between states. Use our template   Post-Election Tabulation Audits Election audits have become a popular topic among…

Feb 28, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Communications

Telling Our Story: An Elections Communication Guide

…reporter interviews County Clerk/Auditor Curtis Koch and reports that “he [Koch] knows in this climate there’s no substitute for being transparent.” The message at the bottom of the screen reads:…

May 18, 2022
Case Study

Accelerating Excellence

Following Five Steps to Safer Elections to Build a Security Partnership in Utah

…Secure Elections (CSSE), Weber County Clerk/Auditor Ricky Hatch recruited Weber County Sheriff Ryan Arbon as a law enforcement partner. The two officials believed a multi-county meeting could unite leaders around…

Nov 2, 2022
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Communications

Election Communications Plan

…on our team. To ensure the accuracy of the election results, post-election audits for the [Election Name] have begun. The random selection of ballots has taken place and ballots are…

Jul 10, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Election Management

The Reality of Full Hand-Counts: A Guide for Election Officials

…speed and cost-effectiveness of modern voting systems, emphasizing their role in enhancing public trust in electoral processes, while pointing to the value of using partial hand-counts to audit automated tallies….

Feb 6, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Operations

DIY Guide – Building an Election Training and Certification Program

…of the lesson. Also, a procedural audit of a local jurisdiction’s signature verification process could measure whether the state’s policies were followed. Is the outcome aligned with the broader outcomes…

Mar 14, 2025
Guides and Workbooks

Election Management

Ballot Proofing: Ensuring Accuracy in Elections

…auditors, accounting staff and others who are experienced with detail-oriented tasks are a good fit. Vendors If vendors are involved with ballot creation, elections staff remains responsible for proofing ballots….

Feb 22, 2024
Assistance

Communications

4 Tips for Communicating About Election Results Reporting

…be filed? What audits take place before the canvass or certification? Additionally, remember these important tips about planning for your media briefing: Select a meaningful location. Try to avoid spaces…

Nov 3, 2022
Guides and Workbooks

Election Management

Chain of Custody

…identify and remedy any potential breaches in ballot security. Chain of custody is also essential in establishing that ballots are unaltered for the purpose of recounts and audits.    …

May 30, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Election Audits

Systems Check: A Guide to Testing Election Technology

…for all in-person voters Direct-recording electronic voting devices (DRE) with and without a voter-verified paper audit trail (we recommend against using DRE devices, but recognize they are still in use)…

Jul 28, 2025
Guides and Workbooks

Election Management

Ballot Replication Guide

…be clearly communicated to all who assist in the process to ensure accuracy. Quality control checks or compliance audits should ensure procedures are followed. Transparency about the number of ballots…

Oct 5, 2022
Guides and Workbooks

Communications

Standards of Conduct for Election Workers

…training Candidate, political party, and observer trainings and guides Public meetings and observation opportunities (logic and accuracy testing, auditing, canvass/certification, etc.) What will be needed? Key provisions from state election…

Jun 15, 2022
Case Study

Accelerating Excellence

Illinois’ Cyber Navigator Program

…federal, state, and local partners. He feels very informed to both pass information to his local IT department and also educate his public. Physical security audits have helped him and…

Mar 21, 2023
Case Study

Accelerating Excellence

Colorado’s RESCU Team

…became an early leader in the security field, and in 2018, The Washington Post declared Colorado “the safest state to cast a vote,” citing the state’s cybersecurity posture, audits and…

Oct 3, 2022
Guides and Workbooks

Communications

Confident Voices in Critical Times: A Crisis Communications Toolkit for Before, During and After a Critical Elections Incident

Table of Contents Jump to: Introduction Section 1: Proactive Communications Section 2: Crisis Communications Section 3: After the Crisis – Best Practices Section 4: Sample Crisis Communications Scenarios and Recommended…

Feb 20, 2024
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Communications

Ballot Counts and Election Results Communications Tool Kit

…v. official results, canvass, certification and post-election audit. Word Template     Ballot Count and Ballot Status Update Slides Template Add your ballot data to the template and use the…

Oct 29, 2024
Guides and Workbooks

Operations

Recipe for Success: How to Write and Maintain Effective Standard Operating Procedures

…SOPs.” This approach reduces redundancy and minimizes the risk of errors resulting from conflicting information.   Designating a staff person to conduct quarterly or biannual audits of the shared space…

Feb 28, 2025
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Communications

“Security Sandwich” — Best Practices for Voting System Security and Accuracy handout

Starting long before Election Day, voting systems are tested to ensure they meet requirements for security and accuracy. That’s the base of our security sandwich. And after every election, officials…

Aug 27, 2024